Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “smash the patriarchy” remark amid the controversy surrounding actor Kriti Sanon’s outfit in a Rakhi advertisement.
Ranaut reshared a post by the BJP’s Instagram handle responding to Gandhi’s remarks and wrote: “Bro, wait. Bharat Mata ki Jay. Shuru karte hain,” in a pointed reply to his “smash the patriarchy” messaging.
The BJP’s post featured a series of illustrated exchanges questioning the Congress’ position on women’s representation and several issues, including the Women’s Reservation Bill, triple talaq and the Shah Bano case.
In the first illustration, Gandhi is shown saying, “Smash the Patriarchy!” A woman responds: “Bro, wait. Bharat Mata ki Jay. Shuru karte hain.”
The woman then asks: “Triple Talaq?” Gandhi responds: “Aree, that was total vote bank politics, but Smash the Patriarchy anyway!”
In the next exchange, the woman asks: “Par your party voted against the Women’s Reservation Bill initially.” Gandhi replies: “Again, whole vote bank game bro, but Smash the Patriarchy!”
A subsequent panel has Gandhi saying, “Break the cage!” to which the woman responds: “Shah Bano?”
The final illustration raises the issue of women’s representation in the Karnataka Cabinet, with the woman asking: “Karnataka cabinet me 33 ministers hain aapke, par ek bhi woman nahi.”
Gandhi is shown responding: “Aree… ohh… hmmm…”
Ranaut’s response came after Gandhi on Tuesday defended Sanon amid criticism over her outfit in a 36-second Rakshabandhan advertisement for a jewellery brand.
“What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes–is her choice,” Gandhi said in an Instagram Story while tagging Sanon’s response to the controversy.
“Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom,” he added, using the hashtag “smash the patriarchy.”
The controversy erupted after Sanon appeared in the advertisement wearing an Indo-Western ensemble featuring a bralette-skirt combination. The actor is shown tying a Rakhi to her brother and her pet dog in the advertisement.
The campaign triggered a debate on social media over women’s freedom of choice, what constitutes Indian culture and whether the advertisement was appropriate for a traditional festival such as Rakshabandhan.
Ranaut had earlier criticised Sanon’s outfit, questioning her decision to wear what she described as a bikini or undergarments while tying a Rakhi to her brother.
“It’s a wonderful time to be a woman, our closets are full of variety of clothes, today’s woman is a global woman, from cocktail dresses to lehenga cholis, jeans to saris, bikinis to salwar kameez,” Ranaut wrote in an Instagram Story.
She added: “…From all the options that are available to us today why would you tie your brother a Rakhi in your bikini/ undergarments? Where are all your styling options? Ha ha the advert looks intentionally creepy.”
Sanon later responded to the criticism, arguing that a woman’s respect for her culture should not be judged by her clothes.
“Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!… Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?? Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman’s respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes,” Sanon said in an Instagram Story.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of Gandhi’s recent comments on patriarchy and women’s rights.
Last week, Gandhi criticised what he described as a “Manusmriti mindset” and urged girl students to “smash patriarchy” during his “Chhatron Ki Goonj” outreach programme.
Interacting with girl students, Gandhi said women belong to themselves and not to their fathers, husbands or sons. He also criticised the idea that women should remain under the authority of male relatives at different stages of their lives.